Santa Ana winds to bring critical fire weather over Thanksgiving holiday
SANTA ANA — This Thanksgiving weekend, firefighters will bring Santa Ana winds to Southern California as one of the most dangerous and dangerous of all fire weather.
The National Weather Service’s forecast for the area calls for Santa Ana winds, but the wind service warns that Santa Ana winds are only the start of a series of fierce, dry Santa Anas that will be bringing massive wildfires to Southern California next week.
At its most intense, the Santa Ana winds are expected to hit on or around the second to fourth day of the upcoming holiday weekend, which runs from Thursday to Sunday.
The Santa Ana winds will be especially dangerous in southern Orange County, where fire danger will be at its highest, according to the forecast from the National Weather Service.
The winds will be so strong that they will be difficult to predict on Thursday, which could delay the evacuation of hundreds of homes.
“There are several major fires burning in the Santa Ana area right now so that will create a lot of concern there,” said Scott McLean, a spokesman for the Santa Ana Fire Department. “The danger is the wind speeds. It’s how fast the wind comes in and out that makes the most difference. It’s going to be rough out there.”
The winds will also affect air quality as some areas will face air quality violations due to the strong winds, McLean said.
The Santa Ana winds are expected to bring fire weather conditions on Friday, which puts the threat of wildfires and possible evacuations into the holiday weekend.
“It’s probably going to be a rough ride for a lot of people,” said McLean. “We could see a lot of people getting hit by things, some of those areas could be pretty hard to access. We could see a lot of people getting caught in the flames as well as the hot spot.”
The Santa Ana winds will bring a lot of dry, gusty Santa Anas that are likely to bring dangerous wildfire conditions Friday into the holiday weekend, said McLean.
The Santa Ana winds are expected to arrive Thursday, when Santa Ana winds have been in the forecast since Sunday.
According to the National Weather Service, Santa Ana winds blow in from the north and blow out from the east, usually around 30 miles per hour in the morning and afternoon.
The Santa Ana winds are part of a large weather pattern that includes